MOTIVATION

Is catering management unique? Every industry thinks it is unique and in a sense, each is right. A look at the industry, with its uniforms, differing job titles, tipping, unsocial hours, labour mobility, irregular work flow, and the degree of entrepreneurship needed in the restaurant business demonstrates that the catering industry is certainly a special case.

Due to this ‘special case’ scenario, one thing is for sure: you must be organised. And that means good staffing at all levels, staff who are flexible, understand speed when busy but do not forego quality. They must have the ability to do other jobs such as cleaning and undergo extra training if necessary during less busy times. Motivation by management is paramount to keeping good staff. Job satisfaction cannot be underestimated.

Unskilled staff

What motivates those without skills? The reasons why unskilled catering work is popular are:

• The work is easy to learn.
• There is variety.
• It is not a factory.
• You meet people.
• It is convenient to get quick money and doesn’t have to be permanent.

How to motivate people

It is necessary to introduce good housekeeping practices with staff in order to keep them. It is done by:

• Clear communication. It is not possible to respond positively when clarity isn’t present.
• Not over-controlling.
• Recognising achievement. This will result in increased good performance.
• Good teaching.
• Rewarding adequately.
• Reviewing performance on a regular basis.
• Treating staff like human beings and not like cogs in a machine.
• Avoiding promises and favours and then not delivering them.
• Taking what people say seriously. Listening to staff.
• Investigating complaints or grievances.
• Avoiding deals.
• Making your staff realise you are a real team.
• Recognising a career commitment.

The attachment to working as a team may be because:

• They have something in common rather than working for the same business, eg they are all students, all women, all the same age.
• Working on these shared characteristics and building up their bond.

Commitment to the job can also be achieved by staff being prepared to ditch old skills and learn new ones, thereby empowering them and recognising their assets. Loyalty and flexibility may be the outcome.